The hardest hue to hold
by GenuineSurprise
Summary: Set after the Mallpisode, Ryan and Marissa are learning to trust each other. With some help from Seth and Summer, it looks like the fabulous four is fabulous once again! Basic fluff and Seth related accidents. Part one in this ten part series.


Story Title: The hardest hue to hold

Story Summary: Set after the Mallpisode, Ryan and Marissa are learning to trust each other. With some help from Seth and Summer, it looks like the fabulous four is fabulous once again! Basic fluff and Seth related accidents. Part one in this ten part series.

Author's note: Well, here is my first O.C fanfic. The basics, RM and SS with Kandy thrown in there somewhere…

The sun's piercing rays peeked in through the beige curtains of the poolhouse. A seventeen year old boy was lying in a clump on the bed, he was snoring slightly. Ryan Atwood was in that comfortable place between unconsciousness and reality. Nothing could persuade him to withdraw himself, not even---

"Ryan! Buddy, rise and shine! It's Saturday and I have an entire day of Ryan-Seth time"

Ryan groaned under the covers and then dove even deeper, pulling his pillow over his head. Seth stared at him for a few seconds, and then rushed over, pulling the pillow away and hitting Ryan across the head with it.

"Come on, wake up!" Seth whined, twisting the pillow in his hands. "Please?" He pleaded, making a very unsuccessful puppy dog face.

"Whattimeisit?" Ryan muttered, suppressing a giant yawn. "It's almost seven, buddy. Way too late for a Saturday, come on, please?" Seth begged, jumping on Ryan's bed, causing Ryan to yelp in pain.

Knowing that Seth was not going to let him have another moment of peace, Ryan say up and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. He blinked a few times, and then turned around to face Seth, who was staring at him incredulously.

"What?"

"Oh man, Ryan, you gotta wash your face, you've got like eye poop everywhere?" Seth grinned, bouncing up and down on the bed like an excited puppy.

Ryan had to smile in spite of himself, "Eye poop? What grade are you in, Seth?"

A few minutes later, Ryan emerged from the bathroom clean and eye poop free. He saw Seth leaning against his pillows, dialing a number on his cell phone.

"Uh, Seth? Who are you calling?" Ryan asked, running a hand through his tousled hair. Seth looked up, "Wow, don't you look WASPy. I'm calling the girls, I was thinking that we could go hook up at the arcade, play a little DDR, so Summer can see all my moves."

Ryan snatched the phone away from his foster brother and said, "What are you thinking? Just because Summer is in love with you again doesn't mean Marissa is. Stop trying to bring back last year, Marissa and I are just not going to work."

Seth glanced at him, offended, "It's not about you, I just wanted to play a little DDR…"

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

"Well, actually, I was hoping that you know you and Marissa…yeah. And Summer and I could, you know…"

Ryan stifled a laughter, "Uh huh, and what does DDR have to do with it?" Seth's eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "I am like DDR. Have I told you about two years ago, when I won a contest in an arcade for being able to not fall of. And also Summer is so fond of dancing, she would definitely come and then it would be…" Seth clicked his tongue and sighed. "Yeah, perfection…"

Ryan was suddenly struck by inspiration. "Play a soccer game with me, if you can get one goal in, we'll go with our plan."

Seth's eyes lit up, "Oh it's so on. Let me just call the girls and you're going down, bro."

Ten minutes later, standing on the Cohen's front lawn, Seth was beginning to think he made a huge mistake. Ryan was wearing a smirk on his face and he was passing the soccer ball slowly from foot to foot.

"You know, buddy, soccer's not really my thing…"

Ryan laughed, "Too late, look who's just arrived." Seth turned around and saw Summer's silver car pulling up with Marissa sitting in the passenger seat. "Oh shit." He mumbled, seeing Summer, now getting out and walking towards them.

"Hey Cohen, hey Ryan. Are you guys gonna play or not?" Summer said, taking the sunglasses off from her eyes and plopped down on the freshly mowed lawn. Marissa smiled at Ryan slightly then sat down next to Summer. Ryan's face was frozen for a few seconds, but then he smiled back, but Marissa was no longer looking in his general direction.

"Yeah, that was about ten seconds too late."

Ryan punched Seth softly, "Shut up and play." Seth rubbed his arm as if Ryan just delivered a flying high kick. "That hurt, man."

Seth was starting to realize that this was the worst mistake he's ever made, every time he tried to come close to the goal, Ryan always managed to easily deflect his shots. He bit down at his lips, trying again, this time, not realizing there was a sharp rock in the ground. He started running as fast as he could, then tripped over the rock, flew in the air in an ungraceful arc, then landed on top of the soccer ball.

"Cohen!" Summer screamed, running over, shaking him, and making him even dizzier. "Are you ok, are you hurt? Are you almost dead?"

Seth blinked and said weakly, "I will be if you keep shaking me."

Ryan and Marissa both rushed over, "Sorry, Seth. I knew soccer wouldn't be your thing. Are you all right?" Ryan's face looked as pale as a sheet with worry. Marissa reached over and felt his hand and said, "Seth, do you want to get into your house?"

Summer pushed the both of them aside, and glared at Seth. "Don't you dare black out on me, are you still in pain."

"Yeah, but I think that if you kissed-----"Seth started, but then stopped when he say the expression on Summer's face. "Uh, Marissa. Yeah…" He continued awkwardly.

Ryan looked sick with worry, and said, "I'm so sorry; I'll get you anything you want."

Seth cracked open an eye, "Really? Does that mean we can go to the arcade now?"

Ryan was driving with Marissa sitting in the passenger seat. She looked pensive and leaned her head against the window, her auburn hair glistening in the California sunlight. Seth was lying in the backseat with his head in Summer's lap, because he claimed sitting up made him dizzy.

"Dude, turn left here." Came the voice from the backseat. Ryan turned around and remarked, "That 'concussion' didn't seem to affect your memory, Seth."

"Yeah," Seth retorted, pointing to his Jew fro, "Photographic memory, right here." Ryan snorted in response, but exchanged a shared smile with Marissa. She grinned, showing those dimples Ryan hasn't seen in quite a while. Ryan glanced over at her more; she was only wearing a black tank top and plain jeans. She looked thinner now, the last year has been hard on her too, Ryan thought.

Summer, on the other hand, looked much healthier. She was rolling her eyes at a comment Seth just made. "The next thing I know, Cohen, you would have the idea to dump me and marry Ryan."

Seth pretended to seriously consider the idea. "You know, Summer. I've always wanted to make our family even more incestuous. I think you've just given me a fabulous idea."

Ryan chuckled as he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Summer's expression. She looked like someone just poured cold water down her back before she reached over and punched Seth.

"Don't scare me!" She growled and then grabbed Seth and kissed him on the lips. After a few awkward seconds, they pulled apart with Seth licking his lips. "Yeah, I'm definitely not going gay after that."

"It's the Arcade!" Seth yelled happily and bounded out of the car, his headache totally forgotten. His three, slower and less enthusiastic friends got out of the car and followed his energetic trots.

Summer was searching through her purse, "Coop, do you happen to have a stick perfume on you?" Ryan looked at her with a confused expression on his face, "You're going to an arcade, Summer, not exactly a club." The two girls glared at Ryan and Marissa reached into her pocket, "Here, Estee Lauder." Summer grabbed it, "Thanks, you're a lifesaver."

"Come on!" Shouted Seth, his face lit with energy, "The arcade is strangely empty today, I want you guys to see me on 'The Whistle song'."

After a minute of high intensive screeching noise to Ryan's ears, the machine suddenly wailed out, "Come on and blow my whistle." He blinked, then asked, "Uh, Seth, have you heard this song before?"

Seth grinned, "Of course, it's my favorite song."

Ryan rolled his eyes, enough said.

After two hours of watching Seth and Summer flirt while trying to keep up with the machine, Marissa was sitting awkwardly by Ryan's side. She ran her fingers through her wavy hair. "Seth is pretty good." She tried to make conversation. Ryan turned around and said, "Yeah…"

Marissa then stared at her hands, and then looked into Ryan's eyes. "I've missed you, Ryan." Ryan did not know what to say, in truth, he had missed her too, but Lindsay…everything was just too complicated.

"I know that you probably have forgotten about me already, and Lindsay, you know…" She trailed on, sounding remarkably like Seth. Ryan clasped a hand to her mouth, "We are friends, Marissa."

Marissa smiled through her shining eyes, and then grasped his hand in a very friend-like grip. She leaned up against him; he stiffened, but then relaxed, feeling her hair tickle his shoulder.

Both of them didn't notice Seth and Summer nudging each other and pointing in their direction. They were lost in their own little world, and Ryan had to admit, it felt really good.

Author's note: There you have it! The first chapter to my ten part series. Please review and tell me what you think should happen.


End file.
